


I've Waited Way Too Long to Say

by TakeMeToGlasgow



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, M/M, knights of camelot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28365849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakeMeToGlasgow/pseuds/TakeMeToGlasgow
Summary: Arthur has five knight friends-- all of whom are ghosts who need to complete their unfinished business to move to the real afterlife.
Relationships: George/Leon (Merlin), Gwaine/Percival (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpiritWorld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritWorld/gifts).



> Ahh ok this is my first fic!!  
> For @meteorjam on Tumblr! I present to you a Heart and Souls au, except we get Arthur Pendragon instead of Robert Downey Jr.  
> I also realize some things are not compliant with the Heart and Souls movie or BBC Merlin but uhhh. fanfic?  
> Happy holidays!!

The accident was just that: an accident.

Ygraine had left Camelot that morning to seek help from a nearby Druid village. She had to sneak out-- only heaven knows how her husband would’ve reacted. 

Especially with a baby on the way. 

So when Ygraine set out that morning, she took with her the best knights of Camelot. 

Except Uther didn’t know about them, either. 

She knighted them in secret. None came from nobility, but she knew, she knew, that these men were special. That they would protect her and the kingdom of Camelot, no matter the cost. 

So when she planned to journey to the Druid camp, she decided that bringing her knights would be a wise choice.

She left that morning before the sun greeted the day. It was the only way to leave without suspicion, without anyone wondering what the queen was doing so early in the morning.

So while the stars were still shining, while the moon still controlled the sky, Ygraine made her escape, praying to the gods that her journey would be swift and easy. 

Behind her, five men in billowing red capes followed. 

Now at this point, you might be asking: why a Druid? What might she need from them that a practiced physician couldn’t provide?

Ah, dear reader, you bring up a good point. 

You see, Ygraine’s pregnancy was difficult, to put it mildly. 

Uther needed an heir. Ygraine wanted a child. 

It was as simple as that. Anyone can see the natural result.

But I suppose the world just doesn’t work that way. After all, if everyone received what they honestly longed for, what would our world be?

Desperate, Uther sought the aid of Nimueh. You know the story. A life for a life, the laws of nature, et cetera, ad nauseum. 

Desperate, Ygraine agreed.

And desperate, Ygraine needed help. Magical help. 

The Druids were the only way she might be relieved. The pain was unbearable at times--both physical and emotional-- but the Druids provided her peace.

This particular trip, Ygraine decided, was to be her last one. It was becoming more and more risky to leave in the middle of the night, what with her growing belly and looming husband. 

The journey ended well-- Ygraine felt comforted once more. Just as the sun was rising, she bid the camp farewell, and took her knights with her back to Camelot. 

Which brings us to the accident. 

She was less than a mile away from her kingdom when it happened. The knights were all laughing, telling a joke to Ygraine before one tossed her an apple. Catching it effortlessly, she took a bite, grinning back at her men-- one final smile before cruel fate struck the queen. 

No one knows how it happened, but there are four facts we know for certain:

1\. There was a bandit attack.  
2\. The knights were killed.  
3\. Ygraine’s child was born.  
4\. Ygraine gave her life giving birth.

The next morning, a patrol was sent out. The baby was brought to Uther with his wife’s body-- he named the boy Arthur before burying the queen. The five men were brought to Camelot but given a citizen’s burial. Despite their capes adorned with the Pendragon crest, Uther did not recognize them as knights. After all, a king’s word is law. 

And Arthur began to grow up, his father the only parent. 

But Arthur didn’t grow up with only a father. 

He also grew up with five knights of Camelot watching over him.


	2. Chapter 1

“For fuck’s sake, Leon, he’s seven years old. There’s no need to start teaching him the laws of the land just yet.”

“Gwaine, watch your mouth. And it’s never too early to educate. He’s going to be king one day; shouldn’t he know his kingdom?”

“Not yet. Uther will handle it. Come on, Percy, what do you think?”

“I’m staying out of this.”

Leon was crouched on the floor of Arthur’s chambers, sitting next to Arthur as the prince played with a spinning top, sitting in Lancelot’s lap. 

Gwaine had sprawled himself out on the bed in the middle of the room, staring up at the ceiling while Elyan sat next to him, reading a book. Percival stood by the window, gazing out at the village below. 

“Your turn,” Arthur said to Lancelot, giggling at Leon and Gwaine’s bickering. 

Grinning, the knight spun the top as Arthur counted how long it stayed spinning. 

“Arthur!”

Uther walked into the room, hands on his hips, making a beeline for his son. 

“Good morning, Father.” Arthur’s manners were already impeccable. 

“What have I told you about leaving things on the floor?” He looked around the room, silently judging the state of disarray. 

“Sorry, Father.”

“Just pick them up next time. I’ll see you at breakfast.” And with that, he stalked back out of the room. 

Gwaine rolled his eyes, letting out an audible groan. He’d always hated Uther. 

“Why didn’t he say good morning to you guys?” Arthur asked the knights in his room, his eyes filled with a sort of dejected curiosity. The sun shone on his hair, making it look even blonder than it already was. 

Lancelot looked up at Leon, a look of sorrow etched upon his face. 

Go on, was the look on Lancelot’s face, nodding towards Arthur. 

There was a pause before Leon began. 

“Er, Arthur, remember when we told you that you’re...special?” He asked. 

The young prince nodded.

“Well, part of being special means that only you can see us,” Leon continued. “No one else can.”

“Why not?” Arthur spoke up. 

Leon looked over to Elyan, silently asking his friend to take over. Picking up the cue, Elyan stood up from his place on the bed and walked over to Arthur, sitting next to him as well. 

“Arthur...it’s hard to explain,” Elyan started. “We...we’re not really here,” he said, gesturing to the other knights. “We don’t really know how it happened, but...I guess you could say we’re like ghosts.” 

Arthur slowly nodded again, this time, trying to understand what Elyan was saying.

The knight brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, thinking of ways to explain. 

He himself could hardly wrap his head around the events of that cursed day. He remembered everything so vividly-- waking up and mounting his horse, travelling with his queen to the Druid village. He remembered the bandits coming out of nowhere and watching Percival get struck with an arrow before falling off his horse. He remembered the sharp end of a similar arrow piercing through his own armor and the pain that immediately followed. And he remembered how quickly that pain subsided before he stood again, seeing his fellow knights rise with him. 

From what he and the knights could gather, they had died when Arthur was born, therefore becoming tethered to his soul. But Ygraine wasn’t there. Lancelot concluded that it was because she was destined to die from the moment Uther made the deal with Nimueh. 

Either way, Elyan, Lancelot, Percival, Gwaine, and Leon had been with Arthur since day one. They were more present in his life than Uther, keeping him entertained during times of boredom, explaining why his father was always busy, being a support when the world seemed too big. 

Heck, Elyan thought. We’ve raised him more than Uther has. 

He turned back to Arthur, ready to explain, when Uther walked back in.

“Arthur, it’s breakfast. You should be in the dining hall,” the king commanded, his voice sharp. 

“I’m coming!” Arthur called after him. 

And with that, the knights followed Arthur out of his bedroom and to the breakfast table, making plans for the rest of their day. Lancelot hummed a tune, Arthur quickly joining in. 

Da dum dit dittity din din, da dum dit dittity din din.

It was the song Lancelot sang whenever he was feeling nervous or stressed. Arthur quickly learned the tune and always joined Lancelot, loving the way the words sounded. 

While Arthur sat on a chair next to Uther, Gwaine planted himself in the middle of the table, making faces at the king, eliciting a giggle from Arthur. Uther gave him a sharp look, and the prince quickly hid his laughter. The rest of the knights spread themselves out across the room, taking advantage of the fact that no one could see them except for Arthur. 

Arthur studied his father, watching closely as he ate his meal. Every chance he could, Arthur mirrored him. When Uther ate a strawberry, Arthur ate a strawberry. When Uther picked up his goblet, Arthur lifted his. 

Uther stabbed a grape with his fork. Eager, Arthur did the same, but missed. The grape rolled out from under his fork and onto the floor. 

“For fuck’s sake,” Arthur mumbled. 

Sitting on the other end of the table, Leon sharply picked up his head, giving a warning look to Arthur. Gwaine and Percival gave Arthur a thumbs up (Gwaine nodded excitedly, throwing in a wink for good measure) before Arthur ducked under the table to chase the grape. 

“Arthur!” Uther’s shock was evident at his seven year old son’s newfound vocabulary. “Where did you hear that?”

“Gwaine said it!” Arthur’s cheerful voice came from under the table, still trying to find his grape.

But rather than divulging in his son’s interests, Uther rolled his eyes. 

“Arthur, how many times have I told you? You can’t keep these- these imaginary friends!” (Percival snorted.) “It was fun for awhile, but it’s growing tiresome. I don’t want to hear of them again, is that understood?”

“Yes, Father,” Arthur replied, emerging from the floor, only to sit back in his chair and look down at his plate. For the rest of the meal, he ate without copying Uther. 

Behind Arthur’s chair, Elyan groaned softly, turning to Lancelot, asking with his eyes what they should do. 

Lancelot shook his head slightly, silently reminding Elyan that Arthur could still hear them. They’d discuss everything later when Arthur was asleep. 

After breakfast, Uther had instructed a servant by the name of George to take Arthur outside for a walk in the woods. 

Arthur didn’t like George very much. He always seemed so stuffy, so strict about everything. Arthur could never run too far away or wear his shirt the way he liked when George was watching him. 

But today was okay, because George wasn’t paying much attention to the prince. 

They were all in the middle of a field when Lancelot nudged Elyan, who waved down Percival. 

“Do you realize what day it is?” Lancelot asked them. 

“What is it, the 20th?” Elyan paused before the realization hit him. “Oh.”

The 20th was the anniversary of their deaths. And Ygraine’s death. Which also meant it was Arthur’s birthday. 

“Arthur!” George called. 

If you were Lancelot, Elyan, and Percival, you could see Gwaine telling Arthur a joke. If you were George, you could see Arthur laughing at the wind. 

Arthur turned towards George, and began to run back to him.

“Happy birthday, Your Highness,” George said, handing Arthur a small flower. 

Giggling, Arthur took the flower after thanking George, running back to the open field where Gwaine was waiting for him. 

“Feelings are still the same?” Elyan asked Percival as he looked out at Gwaine. 

Percival was silent, merely sighing and looking forward. "I wish they weren't."

Elyan nodded solemnly with a look of understanding before nudging Lancelot, nodding in the direction of Leon. He was standing at the edge of the woods, looking at George. 

George was doing the same thing, but unable to see the knight.

Lancelot began to make his way over to Leon, leaving Elyan and Percival in the field. 

“Leon, are you alright?” Lancelot asked once Elyan and Percival were out of earshot. 

“I’m okay,” Leon replied, finally turning his attention back to the person who could actually see him. “Do you think-?”

“Yes, I’m sure he remembers.” Lancelot cut off Leon before he could finish, offering his friend an encouraging smile. 

“I just wish…” Leon started to speak again, before trailing off and turning his head back towards the servant, who found a log and sat on it, sighing. 

“...wish you had told him?”

“Yes,” Leon sighed, bowing his head ever so slightly.


	3. Chapter 2

Arthur was asleep, exhausted from his day. At dinner, Uther had managed to remember his birthday and make it special. The knights gave Arthur a small gift-- since they weren’t able to buy anything, they sang a birthday song, complete with a coordinated dance. 

Now, they sat as far away from Arthur’s bed as possible, careful not to wake the sleeping prince. Elyan was pacing, a habit he had picked up after dying. 

“What do we do?” Gwaine asked in a hushed voice.

Sighing, Elyan shrugged. “We can’t go on like this forever.”

“You’re right,” Percival added, nodding in agreement. “We’re not just gonna stay spirits until-”

“Until what?”

“Until... Arthur grows up and passes on,” Percival finished. 

“But what other choice do we have?” Elyan pointed out. They hadn’t reached heaven...or hell...or any afterlife for that matter. 

“Uther’s just going to keep coming down on Arthur as long as we’re here,” Lancelot said. The others nodded in agreement.

They all paused, thinking of what to do next. 

“Lance, he was a little on edge today because of, well, the date,” Gwaine softly reminded him. 

“But what happens tomorrow? Or the day after? Regardless, Uther is still going to get frustrated with Arthur. And it’ll be because of us,” Lancelot pointed out. 

“So where does that leave us?”

“I think…” Leon started, speaking up at last. “We need to leave him.”

“What does that mean?” Percival asked. He tilted his head, slightly raising an eyebrow, but the way he spoke told Leon that he already knew. 

“We can’t keep living the way we are. Arthur needs to grow up without us around. He needs to turn to his father instead of us, he needs to learn how to run a kingdom without...without five secret knights interfering in his life,” Leon said, failing to look at any of them in the eye. Suddenly, to do what he was thinking seemed all too real. 

“And how do we do that?” Elyan asked, even though he was starting to realize what Leon was suggesting. 

“We become invisible. We can control that, remember? When Gwaine disappeared for a week? He was here the whole time, we just couldn’t see him.”

“So are you saying we just...ditch Arthur?” Gwaine spoke in a near whisper. 

“We can say goodbye first. But I don’t think we can continue living like this,” Leon somberly replied.

Everyone nodded in agreement, not wanting to say anything else. 

Arthur woke up the next morning as he always did: seeing Leon and Elyan looking out the window, Gwaine snoring at the foot of his bed, Lancelot reading a book, and Percival straightening up the room from any messes the previous day might have brought.

“Gwaine! I know you’re not asleep,” Arthur giggled, poking Gwaine in his side. 

As a ‘spirit’, he never needed sleep, but Gwaine loved to close his eyes and leave the world for a quiet minute in his head, acting asleep so Arthur might feel comforted. 

“Good morning, Your Highness,” Leon said with a somber smile, walking over to Arthur. 

“Hi Leon!” Arthur grinned back, starting to get out of his bed, but Leon sat down, cueing Arthur to stay. “Do you think you can show me how to do that sword thing you were talking about yesterday?”

Leon smiled gently before Lancelot began to speak. 

“Arthur, we need to talk to you.”

Arthur froze, a look of worry etched upon his face.

Lancelot waited a moment before continuing. 

“We...we were talking last night,” he began, looking at the rest of the knights, unsure how to break the news to Arthur. “We decided we need to leave.”

“What do you mean, ‘leave?’” He asked, his forehead wrinkling as he tried to make sense of Lancelot’s words. “Didn’t you say that you guys are attached to me?”

“We did,” Leon took over. “And we still will be...we just need to say goodbye for now.”

“I don’t understand,” Arthur started, his eyes beginning to tear up. “Why do you have to say goodbye?”

“Arthur, you’re a growing boy,” Percival said, offering an encouraging smile. “We think you can do things on your own. Without us around getting in your way.”

“But you’re my friends! You’re not in my way!” Arthur started to cry softly. That was one of the interesting things about Arthur: even as a child, he was never a screaming crier. His sadness and frustrations were always silent, as though keeping something to himself. 

“It’s okay, Arthur. We know you’ll be okay. If we didn’t think so, we wouldn’t leave,” Lancelot spoke again, sitting next to Arthur and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Arthur started to cry harder as he began to understand what was happening. 

“One day, you’re going to be the king,” Gwaine began. “No one wants to have 5 other people ruling a kingdom!”

“I would,” Arthur mumbled, not looking up.

The knights all gave a reluctant smile to each other. 

“I know,” Gwaine said. “We would too. But what about your father?”

Arthur paused before nodding slowly. 

“We’re sad about this too, Arthur. Don’t ever think that we want to leave you.”

The prince nodded again, still refusing to meet the eyes of the knights. 

“But we have to,” Elyan spoke. And with that, he gave Arthur a quick hug, and vanished. 

“No, Elyan!” Arthur cried. He reached out to the air where Elyan once sat, grasping for his friend. 

“Arthur, we love you,” Percival said. “And we’ll still be here. You’re a brave young man. I’m so proud of you.” He ruffled Arthur’s hair, and before Arthur could look up at him, he too was gone. 

Arthur’s chin began to tremble as tears dripped off his face, onto his hands in his lap. “Don’t go,” he said to the remaining knights, shaking his head as he spoke. 

“You’ll be alright. I know you will. We’re all so proud of the boy you’ve grown into. You’re going to be a wonderful king one day.” And with that, Lancelot faded from view. 

“Nothing to worry about, little man. Soon, you won’t even remember us, eh?” Gwaine reached out to give Arthur a hug and held tight. A few moments later, Arthur was clinging to the air. He let out a stifled sob. 

“Arthur?” Leon was the last knight remaining. 

“Leon, don’t leave me,” Arthur whispered. “Please don’t go!” He said a little louder after seeing a distant look on Leon’s face. 

“I’m sorry, Arthur. I don’t want to leave, either.”

“So don’t!”

“I know it’s hard to understand. But you have to trust me when I tell you that it’s for the best.”

“Leon, no!”

“I’m so proud of you, Your Highness.”

“Leon!”

But it was too late. Leon had vanished. And now, for the first time, Arthur was alone.


	4. Chapter 3

“Father, I’m sorry, I just can’t see myself marrying her!” Arthur stormed out of the throne room and into his chambers, the knights not too far behind. 

It had been 15 years since the knights left Arthur on that fateful morning. Since then, they had lived their lives as they always had-- just without their interactions with the prince. It was relatively strange, in Leon’s opinion. To have your soul chained to another, especially when that other was a growing boy. Even more so when that boy was the future king of Camelot. 

As Arthur hit his late teenage years, Uther began to search for eligible women for Arthur to marry, hence the argument of the day. This most recent suitor was a princess named Elena from a nearby kingdom. Arthur tried to keep an open mind, he really did. But he knew in his heart that his marriage needed to be one of love, not convenience. 

The knights followed Arthur as he briskly walked back to his chambers; he was already on edge today, but the conversation with Uther didn’t seem to do any good for his mood. 

“Personally, I didn’t think she was good for him anyways,” Elyan began, shaking his head. 

“Come on, she wasn’t that bad,” Lancelot tried to convince them, being met with looks of disagreement. “Oh fine.”

“I just don’t see why Uther’s forcing him to marry,” Gwaine grumbled as they turned the corner, now walking down the hallway to Arthur’s chambers. 

“It’s just a matter of convenience, I suppose. He wants to create alliances, which is not the reason to marry. I tried warning Ygriane about this-” Leon started, shaking his head. 

“Leon, if you start again about alliance traps, I swear-”

“But it’s true, Gwaine!” 

At that, Arthur marched into his chambers, leaving the knights outside. 

Gwaine sighed and rolled his eyes. “I wish he would stop slamming doors.”

He walked through the wall and into the room to see Arthur talking to someone. 

“I can’t keep seeing all these...suitors my father brings in,” he sighed in frustration. It sounded like he was holding back a sob. “Not while you’re here.”

As the man Arthur was talking to turned around, Gwaine let out a wild laugh and quickly thanked the gods above that Arthur couldn’t hear him. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Merlin asked. He ran a hand through his dark hair, making it stick up at the sides. Gwaine swore he could see Arthur blush. 

“You know very well what I mean, Merlin.”

Merlin grinned sheepishly; he knew what Arthur was saying but he wanted to hear it out loud. 

“Arthurrrr,” he said playfully, dragging out the prince’s name as he tugged at his sleeve. It was the same shade of red as the scarf Merlin had tied around his neck. 

Arthur looked up at Merlin and softly smiled, “I love you.”

Gwaine slowly walked back out to join the other knights, stopping them before they could enter the room.

“Well lads, we have a problem.”

* * * * * 

“How could we not know about this?”

“We’re with him all the time.”

“You said Merlin, right?”

The confusion outside Arthur’s bedroom was nothing like the knights had ever experienced. 

“Merlin. He told Merlin that he loved him,” Gwaine said, lifting his head out of his hands. He had walked out of the room and slumped against the wall in complete shock. 

“I told you he liked him,” Leon said. “The way they’re always with each other, acting as if no one can see them.”

“Reminds me of someone else I know,” Gwaine muttered before receiving a cold glare from Leon. 

“Either way, it’s not like we can do anything,” Elyan pointed out. “He doesn’t know we exist. Even if he did, we’re invisible to him.”

“Maybe they’re talking more. Gwaine left right after Arthur said ‘I love you,’” Lancelot said, walking through the wall and into Arthur’s room. A moment later, he reappeared, face red. “It’s safe to say they’re not talking.”

Gwaine rolled his eyes, letting out an audible sigh of exasperation. “So he’s in love with Merlin. Why does this affect us?”

“It’s not about us,” Leon said, gesturing at the small group. “Arthur’s going to want to marry him. Once his mind is set, he doesn't change it. He and Uther will fight, Uther will win since he’s the king, and Arthur will be miserable for the rest of his life. Do you really want that for him?”

“Of course not,” Percival interrupted, growing frustrated. “But isn’t this...I don’t know, a little risky? Merlin’s a sorcerer, isn’t he?”

“Arthur knows that,” Lancelot replied, taking over from Leon. “But he loves him anyway. I don’t think he’d tell Merlin his feelings unless he knew the consequences.”

“So are we supposed to do something?” Elyan asked the knights, looking at each of them. 

“We can’t, that’s my whole point,” Gwaine groaned, resting his head in his hands once again. 

At that moment, a small figure appeared out of nowhere. 

Percival jumped and Elyan let out a scream at the sight of the sudden appearance. 

Lancelot’s attention was caught when a servant walked past, completely ignoring the new member of the circle, walking right through him. 

“Alright, state your names. Let’s try to make this quick, huh?” The short figure said. He was wearing a brown leather coat over layers and layers of clothes; nothing about him seemed special, besides the fact that he seemed to pop out of midair. 

Gwaine stared in disbelief. “It’s finally happening,” he mumbled. “We’ve lost it. No hope of recovery. We’ve gone insane.”

“We’re dead, Gwaine. How could we be insane?” Percival muttered as he hit Gwaine over the head.

“Hey, excuse me, I’m not a hallucination,” the man said, snapping his fingers. It might’ve been more intimidating if Percival wasn’t towering six feet above him. “I’m Grettir. You know, a guardian of the afterlife?”

Gwaine looked up, shocked. “Alright, that’s good for you. I’m taking a nap now. Love the hat, by the way.”

Grettir walked over to Gwaine and slapped him across the face. 

“What was that for?” Gwaine’s attention was now caught. 

“I’m here to take you guys to the afterlife,” Grettir said as if he’d recited this statement a thousand times before. 

“This...is the afterlife?” Leon said, a confused statement more than a question. “I think we would be somewhere else if such a place existed.”

“Of course it exists!” Grettir cried, throwing his hands in the air, clearly growing exasperated. At the look of confusion on all of the knights faces, he paused. “Wait,” he said, waving his hand between them. “Has no one explained this to you?”

“No?” Percival replied, bewildered. “We died and then we came back?”

“Dammit, someone was supposed to come for you! When did you die?” Grettir asked, pulling out a roll of parchment and a quill from midair. 

“15 years-”

“Four months-”

“And 19 days ago,” Elyan finished for Percival and Lancelot. 

“Fifteen ye- FIFTEEN?” Grettir mumbled before raising his voice, shouting at all the knights. “You’ve been wandering around as ghosts for fifteen years?!” 

“Is that not...normal?” Elyan asked, glancing at Lancelot for support. 

“Of course not! Why didn’t you guys say anything?!” 

“Um, because we didn’t know?” Lancelot offered, moving next to Elyan, standing in a sort of visual show of solidarity. 

“I gotta have a talk with management,” Grettir muttered, jotting something down on his parchment. “So where were we?” He asked, perking his head back up with a softened expression. “Fifteen years ago? And what was your cause of death?”

“We were...shot,” Percival spoke quietly. “A bandit attack.”

“My condolences,” Grettir replied sharply. “All of you were?”

The knights nodded solemnly, not meeting anyone’s eyes. 

“Well, let’s wrap this up so we can get you to the afterlife,” he continued.

“So do you just...take us now?” Elyan asked, a slight gleam of hope in his eyes. 

Grettir let out a laugh. “You have to complete your unfinished business first!”

“Our what?”

“You know, the one thing you never got to do before you died?” All cheer was lost from Grettir’s face as he turned back to his parchment, jotting something down. “You guys are really behind on all this.”

“What on earth are you writing?” Gwaine demanded, standing up and grabbing Grettir’s paper. “Is that- hey, I’m not ‘obnoxious’!”

“Those are confidential documents, sir,” Grettir snapped as he snatched the parchment back. 

“Taking notes on each of us isn’t a confidential document,” Gwaine retorted, returning to his seat against the wall. 

“As I was saying,” Grettir sighed, “You each have unfinished finished business that needs to be taken care of. Each one of you must complete it before I can take you back to your final destination.”

“How do we know what we’re supposed to do?” Leon asked. 

“You’ll know,” Grettir replied. “What’s that one thing you’ve regretted since death? If you could go back and change anything, what would it be?”

And with that, he disappeared, just as suddenly as he’d arrived. 

“What the hell?” Elyan broke the silence after a few minutes.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Grettir reappeared. “You can use Arthur as a vessel to complete your unfinished business,” he finished before vanishing once more.


	5. Chapter 4

“So we’re supposed to do the one thing we could never do while we were alive-- using Arthur?” Gwaine widened his eyes in shock, shaking his head in slight disbelief.

“Yep,” Grettir said, suddenly standing by Gwaine’s side. “Sorry, I uh, left my quill.” And for the third time that day, he disappeared. 

Leon pressed his fingers against his forehead, sighing in exasperation. “Do you realize what this means?”

“We’ve got to rethink all of our life decisions from over fifteen years ago?” Percival offered. 

“Besides that,” Leon enunciated, “We need to reveal ourselves to Arthur again.”

There was a pause before the other four men broke out into exclamatory protests, clearly against the suggestion. 

“Absolutely not.”

“We left him fifteen years ago. He doesn’t even remember us.”

“What if he does?”

“Lancelot, he doesn’t.”

“Let’s find out, shall we lads?” Gwaine spoke up. 

He walked back through the wall and over to Arthur, who was deep in conversation with Merlin.

Too focused on getting Arthur’s attention, Gwaine didn’t hear what they were talking about, but he picked up the words “father,” “marriage,” and “magic.” Arthur was holding Merlin’s hand as they talked, sitting on the bed. 

Gwaine moved to stand next to Arthur, snapping his fingers and clapping his hands. When Arthur still didn’t notice the knight standing next to him, Gwaine began to shout.

“I’m just...not sure, Merlin. I love you. More than anything, but-” Arthur started. 

If you were Merlin, you could hear the rest of Arthur’s sentence. 

But if you were the knights, all you could hear was Gwaine, screaming something about Arthur’s lack of hearing and if he happens to remember the five men who suddenly disappeared on him fifteen years ago?

Percival jumped in on Gwaine’s attempts. 

“Arthur! It’s me! Remember when I took you sledding that one time it snowed in Camelot?”

“I’m sorry we ditched you,” Gwaine shouted into his ear. 

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Merlin replied to Arthur, looking down. “I understand.”

Leon stood back, staring at the four grown men in front of him-- two of which were acting civilized and having an adult conversation, whereas the other two…well, were not. 

“Gwaine, he can’t hear you,” Leon sighed, pressing his fingers into his forehead. 

“Well no shit,” Gwaine said as he paused his one sided conversation with Arthur and turned to Leon before focusing back on Arthur. 

“What should we do then?” Merlin asked Arthur. 

Elyan joined Gwaine and Percival, waving madly in front of Arthur’s face. 

“I’ll see you later,” Arthur said as Merlin left the room while Elyan jumped on Percival’s back, continuing to wave his arms at Arthur. 

“Alright, that’s it,” Leon muttered to Lancelot. “Gwaine, Percival. Stop. Elyan. Get off Percival,” he said, turning to the others, directing them back into sanity. “We have to try to appear again.”

“Leon, how do we even do that? We’ve been invisible for so long. I don’t even remember,” Gwaine spoke back, looking over Leon’s shoulder at Arthur, who was walking his manservant out the door. 

“Just concentrate,” Lancelot took over, seeing the exasperation on Leon’s face.

And with that, Arthur turned back around to walk to his desk, only to stop dead in his tracks. 

“How did you get in here?” The prince demanded, walking towards his bed, presumably to retrieve his sword. 

“It worked!” Lancelot laughed, turning to face the other knights. 

“What worked? What was your plan? I am the heir to the throne of Camelot, you cannot just barge in here unannounced,” Arthur continued, brandishing the sword he had grabbed from beside his bed. 

Leon appeared next. Arthur jumped, turning, pointing the sword between the two of them. 

“For fuck’s sake, what is this?” He muttered as he slowly walked towards Leon, threatening him with the tip of his sword. 

“Look at that, he remembered!” Gwaine cheered as he became visible behind Arthur, who was becoming increasingly confused. The appearances of Elyan and Percival didn’t help, either. 

They were all standing in a circle around Arthur, who continued to wave his sword around, making useless threats against them. 

“Hang on,” Arthur paused, letting his sword down. “Haven’t I seen you before?”

“Told you he wouldn’t remember,” Elyan intoned. 

“So I have seen you before?” Arthur whipped around to face Elyan. “Wait.”

The knights all stared at him as he brought his hand up to his forehead, searching his memory for where he had seen these men before. 

“No,” he whispered. “No, no, I made you guys up.”

“Well now I’m just offended,” Gwaine said, turning to Leon. “Some plan, eh?”

“Arthur, I realize this is probably difficult for you to understand,” Leon said, ignoring Gwaine. 

“What? No, no this is all in my head,” Arthur replied. “There’s nothing else to understand.” With that, he returned the sword to its hiding place and turned to sit at his desk, picking up a quill and a piece of parchment. 

“Do you really think you made us up?” Lancelot asked, standing in front of Arthur’s desk.

“I know I did,” he muttered, beginning to write. “If I just ignore you, it’ll all go away.”

“Hey,” said Gwaine, snatching the quill out of Arthur’s hand. “If you just made us up, how am I holding this?”

Arthur’s eyes widened, but he quickly recovered and grabbed the quill back. “I’m hallucinating.That’s what Gaius said happens when I’ve experienced extreme emotions.”

“‘Extreme emotions?’” Gwaine repeated, enunciating each syllable. “Were you that unstable for the first eight years of your life?”

“Nah, he always seemed fine to me,” Percival chimed in. 

Arthur sighed and turned back to his writing. Elyan tried to grab the quill again, but Arthur was too quick. 

Grumbling, Elyan reached for the ink bottle, but his hand went right through it. Widening his eyes, he turned to Leon. “Did you see that?”

“See what?”

“I...I couldn’t touch the bottle of ink.”

“Come again?”

“I couldn’t touch it. That ink bottle, right there. When I reached for it, all I felt was air.” Elyan demonstrated again, with the same result. 

Leon tried to reach for it, but he too could not take hold of the small bottle. 

Arthur dipped his quill in again, making the bottle wobble. After he steadied it, Lancelot walked to the bottle, successfully picking it up. 

“Wha-”

This time, Elyan was able to take the bottle from Lancelot, closely examining it. “That’s odd,” he muttered as Arthur walked over, reclaiming his ink supply. 

“He doesn’t get it, does he?” Leon sighed. 

“Not in the slightest,” Percival replied, a look of sorrow etched upon his face. 

“Arth- er, Your Highness,” Lancelot began, “We’re actually here. We...we were all friends when you were a small boy, but we had to leave one night.”

Arthur looked up, slightly confused. “You’re just my imagination.”

Startled, Arthur stared at the group of knights. 

“Arthur, remember when you first rode a horse?” Lancelot asked the prince. “You were wearing a blue shirt because the horse’s name was Blue. And Percival sat behind you so you wouldn’t get scared.”

“What about the time we found those strawberry bushes?” Leon added on, nodding excitedly as he remembered how little Arthur was.

“Besides, if we were your imagination, could we do this?” Gwaine asked, knocking a pile of books off the desk.

“Or this?” Elyan added, hitting Arthur on the arm.

Lancelot started to hum as he stared out the window, thinking of another way to jog Arthur’s memory. 

Da dum dit dittity din din, da dum dit dittity din din

He had Arthur's attention now. 

“No, no, no, no, no, no,” Arthur muttered, standing up, beginning to pace. 

The realization seemed to set in as Arthur froze in his tracks. 

“You!” He shouted, a look of anger settling on his face. “You were with me! And then- and then...you left!” He threw his hands in the air, his face turning red.

“Erm, yes. We did,” Percival said gently, trying to create a calmer atmosphere.

“They all said I was crazy! Do you realize how much you ruined my childhood? I had a new doctor every month,” he vented, pointing between the knights.

“We know,” Percival said. “We’ve been with you this whole time. You just couldn’t see us.”

“This whole time?”

“Yes.”

“That includes the time you jerked off to the story of Achilles and Patroclus, mate,” Gwaine chimed in, receiving a slap on the head from Elyan. 

“You’ve seen everything?” Arthur repeated, incredulous at this news. “And you never thought once to, I don’t know, check in on me?”

“We wanted to, Arthur, we did. But we couldn’t. It would not have been right for us to do so,” Lancelot spoke, his tone never losing its calmness. 

“So you just left?” Arthur demanded, beginning to pace again. His face was growing red and his voice growing loud. “You ruined my life! The doctors kept saying I was too afraid of getting close to people. This is why!”

Glancing to one another, the knights all adopted a look of solemn sorrow. 

“So why are you here now? Shouldn’t you be...invisible? Secretly stalking me?” Arthur snapped, frustrated with how his day was turning out. 

“We actually, um. Need your help,” Elyan said quietly, not meeting Arthur’s eyes. 

“Oh, so you need my help? You show up when it’s important for you?”

“That’s not quite it-”

“No, that’s exactly it. You leave me for- how long has it been? Fifteen years if I’m not mistaken? And then you reappear when it’s convenient for you,” Arthur retorted. “Forgive me if I’m not completely welcoming.”

“I’m so sorry,” Leon whispered. “We never wanted to leave.”

“You’re sorry?” Arthur laughed, his frustration never fading. “What could you possibly need my help with?”

“Well. Erm. When we died, we were supposed to complete any unfinished business we might have had,” Lancelot began. 

“And how does that involve me?”

“We were told that we could use you as a sort of...vessel to finish the task.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Perf- wait what?” Gwaine did a double take. 

“You want to use me. As a way to finish the things you failed to do while you were still alive? How does that even work?”

“Uh, to be quite honest, I’m not sure, but from what Grettir told us-” Leon began

“Who?”

“Grettir. Short tempered, rude little man who got us into this whole situation,” Gwaine interrupted. 

“Grettir told us we could use you as a vessel. I think that means we can...possess you?” Leon finished, a slight upspeak in his tone. 

“No. No way. My life is great right now. Merlin and I just figured everything out and I have a tournament coming up...my father and I are on good terms and the kingdom is thriving. Now I have an important council meeting tomorrow and I need sleep. It’s been a fucking long day, so please, feel free to see yourselves out.”

And with that, Arthur stormed out of the room, heading for the bath chambers. 

Being forced to follow Arthur, the knights unwillingly followed him. 

Before Arthur could open the door, he turned to the knights. “What are you doing?” He hissed. 

“We’re bound to you. My Lord,” Gwaine quickly added. 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “No one else can see you?”

“Only you,” Leon sighed, crossing his arms. 

“Great,” Arthur mumbled, feeling sick and tired of his new companions already.


	6. Chapter 5

“As we were discussing,” Uther announced to the meeting members. The room was filled with other knights, the ones Uther most trusted. The court physician, Gaius, stood in the far corner with Merlin close by. “I have sought out King Rodor of Nemeth to establish an alliance. With the attacking kingdoms growing closer, we need all the friends we can get.”

Uther droned on, talking about the ups and downs of allyship as Leon, Elyan, Gwaine, Percival, and Lancelot held their own meeting. 

“We need Arthur. We can’t keep living like this,” Lancelot began as he huddled the others into a small circle. 

“I don’t think he realizes that if he were to help us, the sooner we’d be gone,” Elyan added, subtly nodding in Arthur’s direction.

“We just need to convince him,” Leon said, sighing and crossing his arms. 

“Allow me, lads,” Gwaine chuckled as a mischievous glint took over his eye. 

Quietly, he walked up behind Arthur, who was standing next to his father, debating the finer points of alliances. 

Arthur did not notice the knight standing behind him, who proceeded to walk into the prince. 

It was a strange sight-- one minute, Gwaine was standing behind Arthur; the next, Gwaine was gone, having merged with him. 

Arthur took a step forward and began to walk around the council room. 

“It worked!” He cried. Uther stared at his son in disbelief. 

Leon gasped. “Is he...in Arthur?”

“...I think he is,” Percival replied, holding back a laugh. 

Arthur jumped up onto the table in the middle of the room and began to jump, kicking at the array of papers and maps laid out. 

In the corner, Merlin stifled a laugh while Gaius softly nudged him, imploring his apprentice to stop. 

“Arthur!” Uther cried, putting his hands on his hips as he continued to gape at his son. 

But the prince continued to walk around, placing his hands on his hips, beginning to strut up and down the length of the table. 

“Gwaine!” Leon hissed as he tried to wave him down. 

“You’ll have to excuse his behavior, gentlemen. He’s been...unwell the past few days,” Uther apologized, the look of shock never leaving his face. 

On the table, the knights saw Gwaine leave Arthur’s body, smiling like a madman, completely contradicting the look of confusion on Arthur’s face. 

Arthur hesitated, becoming used to taking control of his body again. “I offer my sincerest apologies, Father,” he muttered, growing red in the face. 

“It’s...quite alright, Arthur,” Uther replied, looking dazed. 

As soon as Arthur hit the ground with both his feet, Lancelot walked over to Arthur, pushing himself to take control of him. 

“As you were say- OH!” Arthur yelped, once having Lancelot behind the wheel. “This is so weird,” he muttered, adjusting to being fully human for the first time in fifteen years. 

Arthur started to walk around the room under Lancelot’s control, running his hand over the stone wall or inhaling the air from outside the window. 

“I can actually smell!” He gasped, leaning out the window for another whiff of the summer day. “And feel things...I can touch everything! Leon, c’mere! The wind- you can feel the wind!”

“Arthur,” Uther intoned, bewildered with his behavior. “Please, we have important matters at hand here, including a potential wedding.”

With that, Arthur removed his hand from the curtains by the windows, his eyes widening. “Did you say ‘wedding’?” He asked, quickly glancing over at the other knights, and then to Merlin, who shared the same startled expression as his boyfriend. 

“Yes!” Uther cried in frustration, gesturing wildly with his hands. “Have you not been listening?” Turning to the other men in the room, he apologized once more. 

With that, the knights saw Lancelot leave Arthur, returning to his safe haven behind Elyan. 

And with that, it was Percival’s turn to use Arthur. 

“No, no,” Arthur muttered, backing away as Percival neared him. “Don’t you dare-”

But it was too late: Percival merged with Arthur, forcing Arthur to relinquish all control of himself for the third time that day. 

“What if I don’t want to marry?” Arthur said, standing on the table once more. 

Merlin snorted quietly, receiving a raised eyebrow from Gaius. At the same time, Gwaine was cheering Percival on. “That’s my boy!”

Leon stepped lightly on Gwaine’s foot, warning him not to do anything else rash. 

“What do you mean, you don’t want to marry?” Uther questioned, fed up with Arthur. 

“I mean,” Arthur replied, drawing his answer out. He walked over to Uther and plucked the crown off his head, placing it on his own. “What if I don’t want to marry? I thought I made it clear before, Father,” he finished, sneering at the king. 

“Arthur!” Uther cried once more, growing disturbed. “All right, this meeting is adjourned. Gentlemen, we will convene tomorrow.” 

Percival morphed out of Arthur, returning to the knights, high-fiving Lancelot. “That was so bizarre,” he whispered excitedly. 

Behind him, Arthur and Merlin were exchanging looks, making plans to meet again later that day. The rest of the court left the room, silently asking each other what the hell just happened. 

It was a rather pleasant day; the sun was shining through the window Lancelot had opened, reflecting off the table in the middle of the room. Nature seemed to have a sense of humor, showering the room with sunlight while the father and son inhabiting the very room were anything but bright. 

“Arthur, your behavior is absolutely unacceptable,” Uther challenged, removing his crown from Arthur’s head and returning it to his own. 

“Father, please, I...I’m not sure what happened, but it won’t again. I promise,” Arthur replied as he glared at the knights over Uther’s shoulder. 

“Don’t look at me like that. I might be your father, but I’m still the king of Camelot and you will show me some respect!” 

“No, Father. The- the sun is in my eyes,” Arthur covered up, giving a warning look to the knights. 

“Arthur, I’ve tried to be patient with you,” Uther started as he began to pace, ignoring Arthur’s excuse. “We need you to marry soon. War is upon us. We need allies.”

“This is our chance,” Gwaine whispered to Leon.

“What do you mean?” The knight replied. 

“If that stunt earlier didn’t convince Arthur to help us, maybe we can do something here,” Lancelot caught on, nodding eagerly. 

“Father, I want to marry someone I love. I told you this yesterday. I don’t love Elena, I don’t love Mithian!”

In the background, Gwaine reached for a pitcher of water. “I’ve got an idea.” But his hand waved right through the object. 

“Dammit,” he muttered. ‘We need Arthur to touch this.” 

“Why?” Leon asked, tilting his head in confusion and slight annoyance. 

“So I can hold it,” Gwaine hissed in reply. “Didn’t you see the thing yesterday with the ink bottle?”

“I’m very much aware of the ink bottle,” Leon retorted. “I just don’t see why you need the jug.” He nodded towards the pitcher Gwaine was still waving his hand through. 

“Just give me a minute.”

“Please, Arthur, think of the kingdom!” Uther carried on, pleading with his son. “We need peace. If Camelot is under attack and we have no assistance, that will be on you.”

“We can still create alliances without an arranged marriage,” Arthur countered, the look of disdain on his face matching his father’s. 

“Arthur,” Gwaine mumbled as he tried to get the prince’s attention. Arthur subtly held out a hand to his side, indicating that Gwaine should stop while he was ahead, giving the knight a stern look of warning. “Arthur!”

Uther began to explain the benefits of arranged marriage in further detail, something which Arthur was accustomed to. 

The king was so deep in his own lecture that he barely noticed his son talking to the air as Gwaine hinted for Arthur to touch the pitcher. 

“Why?” Arthur hissed. 

“I’m gonna help you, watch. Just touch the damn thing.”

Arthur nodded slowly as he poured himself a cup of water, offering one to Uther, who shook his head. 

Gwaine slowly picked up the pitcher. To Uther, it appeared to float next to Arthur before Gwaine chucked it across the room, narrowly missing the king’s head. 

“What the hell?” Uther asked. He followed the pitcher with his eyes, turning around as he did so. 

Gwaine took the opportunity to turn to Arthur. “Convince him somehow that it’s your mother’s spirit.”

“What?” Arthur cried, his eyes widening and face reddening at the suggestion. 

“We’ll handle the ghostly appearances, but tell him that your mother is insisting that you marry someone that you love. Just play along.”

Catching on, Arthur’s eyes adopted a look of mischievous understanding as he turned back to his lecturing father. 

Gwaine walked over to the pitcher, picking it up once more and throwing it across the room. 

“What is this?” Uther demanded, walking over to the fallen pitcher. He tried to pick it up, but Gwaine had run over and kicked the pitcher away from Uther’s reach. “Arthur, get Gaius. We seem to have a spirit among us. He’ll know what to do.”

“No, Father, wait,” Arthur paused, holding his arm out. “I hear something.”

Elyan reached for a map Arthur had been holding earlier, tearing it in half. Uther could only see the sketch float in midair before splitting itself down the middle. 

“Arthur, I just asked you to fetch for Gaius.”

Arthur looked over at Lancelot, who winked and slammed the windows shut while Leon drew the curtains. The sunlight that had once generously poured into the room was now blocked-- everything was dark. 

“I- I hear something, Father.”

“Don’t be silly, Arthur. I can’t hear anything.”

“It’s a woman’s voice!”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Arthur shut his hands over his ears. Gwaine grinned-- the prince was really putting on a show. He leaned over to talk to him. “Tell him that Ygraine doesn’t want her son making the same mistake she did.”

“Gwaine!” Leon yelped in shock, looking over from the curtains. “You can’t just say things like that!”

Arthur relayed the message to his father, acting as though he was in great pain. Uther walked towards his son in concern, wanting to hear what his late wife might be telling him. 

“Leon, it was an arranged marriage. Don’t you remember why she knighted us?”

Arthur whipped his head towards the knights, wanting to hear more of their conversation, but Gwaine nudged him forwards, encouraging him to keep up the act.

“She...she wants me to marry someone I love. No alliances,” Arthur finished, exhaling dramatically, removing his hands from his head.

Uther sighed before pacing back and forth at the front of the room. Every so often, he sighed again or coughed loudly, a nervous habit Arthur had picked up on over the years. 

Arthur slowly walked to the rest of the knights, Gwaine patting his back. 

“Was that alright?” He muttered, keeping an eye on his father. 

“Fantastic,” Percival grinned, playfully messing with Arthur’s hair. 

Uther turned around. “If Ygraine came all the way from the spirit world to warn us of this, I think we must listen to her.”

Arthur’s attention was caught, shocked at his father. “Does that mean-?”

“For now, Arthur, I will not arrange a marriage. But do try and find a suitor.” And with that, the king stormed out of the room, leaving Arthur alone with the knights. 

He turned to the front of the room, sitting on a small platform that stood at the head. “What you said about my mother,” Arthur hesitated before asking the question occupying his mind. “Was that true?”

Leon waited a moment before answering. “Yes, Your Highness. It was. Your father married your mother because of an arranged marriage. To create an alliance with a nearby kingdom.”

The knights exchanged sorrowful looks, remembering how Ygraine confided in them about how she never wanted to marry, but did so for the good of her kingdom.

Arthur nodded solemnly before murmuring, “Her name was Ygraine.”

Lancelot did a double take at this statement. “You...didn’t know that before?”

Leon hung his head sadly-- he was closest to the queen. 

“My father never told me her name,” Arthur explained quickly, refusing to meet any of the knights’ eyes. “He never speaks of her.” He paused. “How did you know my mother?”

The knights took turns explaining their position in the kingdom-- how they had never been official knights, but friends from the village who wanted to protect Camelot, but were denied service due to their lack of noble blood; how Ygraine spotted them in a field one day, amazed by their abilities and knighted them in secret; how the six of them became close; how they promised to protect their queen until the day they died-- and how that promise became their reality. 

Arthur smiled softly at their stories, awed at how loyal they stayed to Ygraine. 

“I will not forget this,” Arthur said in a hushed tone. “So what were you saying earlier about unfinished business?”


	7. Chapter 6

"Go over the plan with me one more time,” Arthur said, leaning on his desk table. 

He and the knights were in Arthur’s room-- it was dusk; birds were flying back towards their homes in the trees, the stable boys were feeding the horses, and the castle was preparing for dinner. Smells of meat wafted through the chambers, momentarily distracting Arthur from the task at hand. They had slipped away from training to focus on completing any unfinished business. 

“We think my business will be easiest to complete, so we’re doing his first,” Elyan explained, walking over to Arthur from the window he was standing at, watching the village below grow still from a long summer day.

“Elyan was in an argument with his sister the day before we were killed. She used to be a servant here, but she stopped after we died.” Lancelot took over, sharing a glance with Elyan. 

“I don’t even remember what it was about,” Elyan murmured, a look of sorrow etched upon his face. “But I know I need to apologize. That’s what I’ve regretted ever since my death.” 

“Does anyone else find it ironic that ‘regret’ sounds like ‘Grettir’?” Gwaine interrupted from his spot on the floor. He was lying on his back, throwing a ball into the air. 

“We know Gwen lives in the village,” he continued after glaring at Gwaine. “Elyan’s tried to go see her, but since we’re attached to you, we were never able to.”

“Huh?”

“You never walked past the area where Gwen lives,” Elyan elaborated, regaining control of his story. “But tomorrow, the plan is for you to visit her home. I’ll use you as a vessel and speak on behalf of myself. It would be odd if I spoke as myself through you.”

“Alright,” Arthur nodded with slight hesitation, feeling anxious about what the next day might bring.

* * * * *

They left after breakfast the next morning under the pretense of an alleged bandit attack in the woods. Attacks weren’t uncommon, so after secretly giving Merlin a quick peck on the cheek, Arthur took his favorite horse off into the outskirts of Camelot’s village. 

There was no room on the horse for anyone else, yet Arthur invited Elyan to sit behind him as they rode. He wasn’t wearing his armour today, providing even more space than usual on the brown steed. The other knights, being bound to Arthur, followed aimlessly, supernaturally being able to keep up with the horse’s galloping. 

Elyan relaxed as they approached his old home; it was comforting to see that virtually nothing changed. Perhaps a couple new houses had been built, but everything was familiar and nostalgic. He felt a sigh of relief escape his lips as Arthur trotted over to one of the homes. 

“This the one?” He asked, pointing to a house with a large garden. 

Elyan slowly nodded, biting his lip. This was his childhood home. Some of the flowers were overgrown, but he could see that Gwen had taken good care of the place. 

It was a small room house, but most of the homes in the village were. He remembered when his father built a small extension, making room for Gwen when she was born. The roof was thatched, perfect for spring weather, but sometimes hell in the winter. He chuckled to himself as he remembered waking up to a large puddle beside him. 

“Well, do your thing,” Arthur said, climbing off the horse. Elyan followed, looking back at the knights for reassurance. 

“It’ll be alright, mate,” Gwaine smiled, patting Elyan on the shoulder. “She’ll be ecstatic to have heard from you, even if it’s through this snob.”

Leon nodded at him with confidence. “Go on,” he said. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Elyan gave a shy smile before looking to Arthur. 

“Ready?” He asked the prince. 

He nodded in reply. 

For the first time, Elyan stepped into Arthur, enjoying the perks of being fully human. 

“I can smell everything!” Arthur exclaimed. “She’s...she’s making her favorite bread.” He inhaled deeply, looking around as if discovering his village for the first time. “Oh, look at the flowers!” 

He touched the petals softly and ran his hands over the wooden walls of his home. “Fifteen years…” he murmured. 

“Go on with it!” Lancelot encouraged, offering a smile and a wave. 

Taking a deep breath, Arthur walked to the door. He paused, looking back once more at the knights, and knocked. 

“Coming!” Said a voice from inside. Arthur began tapping his hand against his leg, taking another deep breath. 

“Oh!” The door opened-- Gwen was standing there, having aged since the last time Elyan saw her, but still looking lovely as ever. “Your Highness.” She curtsied quickly, bobbing back up with a look of confusion.

“I don’t mean to intrude,” Arthur said, gazing at Gwen. She was wearing a purple dress-- Elyan remembered it fondly-- flour on her apron, her hair barely turning the slightest shade of grey. Gosh, she had to be what-- 40? 

Gwen’s eyes darted from Arthur to the doorway, to over Arthur’s shoulder, looking outside. “What might I do for you, sire?” She asked, maintaining her composure. 

“I’m here on behalf of your brother...Elyan?” Arthur replied, not meeting Gwen’s eyes. 

Gwen gasped. “Elyan? He...he passed away. Fifteen years ago.”

“I- I know. We were um. Going through some of the old servant chambers at the castle and we found. Erm. A letter? From Elyan. Addressed to you,” he made up on the spot, thinking his excuse sounded pretty reasonable. 

“Oh,” said Gwen, surprised. “Do you have the letter?”

Good job, Elyan, he thought. “Erm. No. We don’t. There was...a small fire. In the castle. And uh. Lots of the personal possessions were lost.”

“So then...why are you here?”

Behind him, Elyan could hear a mixture of laughing and groaning from the knights. 

“To relay the message,” Elyan improvised. He sounded so unsure of himself, it was amazing that Gwen bought the excuse. 

“You were reading our personal letters?” Gwen gasped, looking offended at the prince.

“No! No, no, no, no...I just...happened to see. The letter. Before...before it caught on fire,” Elyan continued to cover up what was really happening here. Maybe that would’ve been more believable.

“Oh. What did it say?” Gwen asked, looking up at the prince. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. 

“He said he was sorry. He feels terrible about what happened before....before his death,” he elaborated. “He said you were the best sister he could’ve possibly asked for, and that...he loved you. Very much. And he hopes you continued to live the best you could. Like dad used to say. With nothing but kindness in your heart. And...he wanted to give you this,” he finished, reaching out to wrap Gwen in a hug. 

She was caught by surprise, but lightly held onto the prince, who was holding onto her as if his life depended on it. To be fair, it was. 

Arthur stifled a sob, taking in Gwen’s smell-- it was just as he remembered. Honey and flowers, everything sweet and homelike. 

At last he let go, tucking a hair behind her ear. “Your brother loved you. Very much,” Arthur said, letting the held back tears fall from his face. 

“Thank you,” Gwen whispered, crying as well. She held a hand up to her heart and closed her eyes, as if sensing that her brother was actually standing in front of her.

* * * * *

They were standing in an open field they had rode out to after Gwen’s, waiting for Grettir to emerge. 

He popped seemingly out of nowhere, just as he had done the first time. 

“Who’s coming with me?” He asked, the snark never leaving his voice. 

“You’re Grettir?” Arthur asked, puzzled at his appearance. 

“Yes, that’s me. Why?” Grettir demanded. 

“Oh, nothing. I just thought you’d be…”  
“Don’t even finish that sentence,” Grettir sighed, rolling his eyes and turning away. “Now back to business. Who am I taking?”

“Me.” Elyan stepped forward. “I...finished my unfinished business.”

“Excellent,” Grettir replied while gesturing to his side. “Come stand here then. We’re off to the afterlife.”

“Wait,” Elyan paused before joining Grettir. “Let me say goodbye first?”

Grettir grumbled. “Just be quick, I’ve still got other people to pick up.”

“We’ve had some good times, eh?” Lancelot began, shaking Elyan’s hand as his eyes began to water. 

“I’ll see you on the other side, mate,” Gwaine said when Lancelot let go as he brought Elyan into a hug, patting his friend’s back. 

Elyan chuckled softly as he began to tear up, moving from each friend, offering well wishes and hopes to see each other soon. 

“We’ll miss you,” Leon said, offering his hand out to Elyan as well before wiping his eyes, offering an encouraging smile.. “It’s been a good life, hasn’t it?”

Leon couldn’t believe this was actually happening. They had known each other since they were teenagers, running around Camelot. They’d grown up together, fought together, died together...

“Elyan?” Arthur began, walking over to him. “Thank you.” He paused. “I...I don’t remember much of my childhood. But I’m starting to remember you.”

Elyan smiled, turning to Arthur. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“My god, are you done yet?” Grettir interrupted, rolling his eyes. 

Elyan sniffed, wiping his eyes and smiling again. “I’m ready.” 

And with that, Grettir took the knight’s hand, and together, they vanished.


	8. Chapter 7

Percival stared off into the place where Elyan and Grettir had disappeared, a distant look in his eyes. His hand stayed by his side, but high enough in the hair to hint that he was reaching out for his friend. Of all the knights, he was the one Elyan was closest to. 

They rode back in silence, besides the occasional stifled sob or cleared throat, the galloping of Arthur’s horse providing enough sound to fill the quiet. 

Nature seemed to mock them with such a fine day-- the sun was shining; it was not a hot day, but not cold. The birds in nearby trees chirped occasionally, flying to a safe haven when the horse passed. 

The sky began to turn a magnificent shade of pink as Arthur and the knights approached Camelot-- they hadn’t realized they’d been gone for that long.

They reached the castle to find Merlin greeting Arthur, wondering where he had been all day. “Arthur! Er, my lord,” Merlin corrected himself as Arthur climbed the stairs to the castle. 

Arthur handed the reins of his horse off to a nearby servant, smiling at Merlin. 

“We’ll try to ignore you romantics,” Gwaine huffed, turning to Percival, Leon, and Lancelot as they tried to organize their next move. 

“Where were you? I didn’t think you’d be gone that long,” Merlin spoke to Arthur as they walked into the castle, the knights standing back as far as they could from the two. 

“I was off in the village. There was a reported bandit attack. But everything looked fine,” Arthur deadpanned, reaching for Merlin’s hand once he was sure no one was in sight. 

“You really are a terrible liar, my lord,” Merlin laughed, calling Arthur by the title he only used when joking with the prince.

“What?” Arthur asked, making himself look confused. “Someone wrote to my father and told him there was an attack on the outskirts of the village. So he sent me to go check on them.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “All right,” he gave in, swinging he and Arthur’s clasped hands back and forth. 

* * * * *

“I hate lying to him,” Arthur groaned that night, talking to the knights. 

He was lying in bed, his hands over his head. He invited Merlin to stay the night, feeling guilty about earlier, but Merlin had declined. The two of them were spending more and more time together. Gaius was still unaware of their relationship, and sneaking around was growing increasingly risky. Arthur was already sure the cook was catching on to the close bond between the two. 

“Why don’t you just...hm, here’s a thought. Tell him the truth?” Gwaine offered, rolling his eyes. He was perched on the window seat, looking out at the stars. He had become more irritable as the day went on; Elyan’s departure had affected Percival, and when Percival was cranky, Gwaine quickly followed. 

“He would never believe me,” Arthur replied, sighing and rolling over in his bed to face Gwaine at the window. 

“Arthur, he’s literally a sorcerer,” Gwaine replied, scoffing slightly. “Do you think there’s anything he wouldn’t believe?”

“That’s true,” Arthur agreed. “But I didn’t believe him at first when he told me.”

“I remember,” Leon sighed. He was sitting in Arthur’s desk chair, aimlessly tracing the spine of a book with his finger. “You didn’t talk for almost a month.”

“What if he thinks I’m crazy?” Arthur whispered. “What if he agrees with all the doctors I saw when I was younger?”

Percival sat down at the window with Gwaine, staring out the window before replying. “I don’t think he will,” he reassured Arthur, nudging Gwaine with his foot. “Right?”

“Of course not,” Gwaine encouraged. He seemed to soften now that Percival was near him, looking at the prince instead of the stars. “I can’t believe no one’s found out he’s a sorcerer yet,” he muttered to the man sitting next to him. “It’s so obvious.”

Percival chuckled as Lancelot reassured Arthur that Merlin would understand. 

“Goodnight, Your Highness,” Lancelot softly spoke as Arthur began to lightly snore.

“He’s so loud,” Gwaine muttered. 

“You’re worse,” Percival retorted, smiling at his friend. 

“C’mere,” Leon whispered as he waved them all down. 

They gathered around the desk, speaking in hushed tones as they continued to discuss who to send off next. 

“I think it should be Lancelot,” Leon suggested as he looked to his fellow knight. 

“Me?”

“You said your business was to prove to yourself that you could actually be a knight, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t see how-”

“Remember how you asked Ygraine about entering that one tournament? She had an entire argument planned to convince Uther to knight you,” Leon elaborated, smiling fondly when he mentioned his queen. 

Gwaine gasped, realizing what Leon was implying. “Leon, you’re brilliant!” He smiled, clapping him on the back. 

“Er, thank you?” Leon replied, slightly blushing. 

“I’m still confused,” Lancelot spoke up, Percival nodding in agreement. 

“There’s a tournament on Friday. Arthur’s competing in it,” Gwaine excitedly explained. “That’s what you’re talking about, right?” 

“Exactly!” Leon grinned back. 

“I can’t believe the two of you are getting along,” Percival muttered, laughing to himself. Lancelot shrugged, exchanging a surprised look with him. 

“So you can use Arthur as a vessel. You can fight in the tournament!” Leon finished, nodding excitedly. 

“No. No way. Absolutely not,” Lancelot immediately replied, terror in his eyes. “I can’t do that.”

The light in Leon’s eyes faded. “Why not? Isn’t that your unfinished business?”

“I-it is but...but why this tournament? So soon?”

“We won’t make you do anything you don’t want to,” Percival spoke up. “But how great would it be to come out of that tournament victorious?”

“What about Arthur?” Lancelot instantly asked. “He’s been preparing for this all year.”

“There’s multiple rounds!” Leon offered. “You can do one, Arthur will do the rest!”

Lancelot sighed, thinking the idea over. “I haven’t held a sword in years.”

“You’ll be great,” Percival encouraged. “You were one of the best swordsmen I knew.”

Lancelot offered a small smile, thanking Percival. “How will I train?”  
“We can do it at night so others don’t see a floating sword,” Gwaine proposed. “Here, we can start now. Arthur touched the sword by his bed earlier today.”

Lancelot’s eyes widened as he unconsciously backed up. “N-now? As in, this instant? At-” He glanced at the marked candle by Arthur’s bed. “One o’clock in the morning?”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s one o’clock in the morning!” Lancelot hissed. 

“You’re nervous,” Gwaine accused.

“What? No,” Lancelot replied, his eyes darting around the room. 

“You totally are!” 

“I’m not nervous,” Lancelot enunciated, still failing to meet the eyes of any of his friends.

“Lance,” Leon calmly said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay if you are.”

Lancelot sighed before looking up at Leon. “I don’t want to go out there and realize that I’m actually...not worthy of knighthood.”

Gwaine and Percival exchanged looks.

“Lancelot, you’re a brilliant knight,” Percival said, walking over to him. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you wouldn’t be able to prove yourself.”

“And even if you lose, so what?” Gwaine asked, trying to lighten the mood. “You wouldn’t have to face anyone after. Just us. Arthur would be the one looking bad.”

Lancelot groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Thanks, Gwaine,” he said, giving him a look of annoyance. “I never get scared. I’m always able to assure myself that I’ll be okay. But this…”

“Seems bigger?” Leon offered. 

“Yes,” Lancelot solemnly replied. 

“Tell you what,” Leon suggested. “We can talk to Arthur tomorrow. He might not even agree yet. In the meantime, we can get you practicing again. If you’re not comfortable, we can find another way for you to finish this business.”

Lancelot nodded and smiled, the butterflies in his stomach starting to rest. “Thank you, Leon.”  
Grinning, Percival walked to the sword by Arthur’s bed and offered it to Lancelot. 

He paused before taking it, but the minute his hand was around the grip, he let out a laugh. “Man, I missed this.”

* * * * *

“You want to what?” Arthur asked, his now-usual look of confusion taking over his face. 

“Compete in the tournament?” Lancelot said, wincing slightly, a slight upspeak in his voice. 

“Oh my gods,” Arthur groaned as he sat down at his desk, burying his head in his hands. “Does it have to be this tournament?”

“I can wait!” Lancelot eagerly replied, nodding his head. 

“No, Lance, you can’t,” Leon interjected, walking over to his friend. “You don’t know when the next chance will be.”

Lancelot sighed. “I know but...it’s so soon. I think I’ll really be okay to awit.”

Huffing, Gwaine hit Lancelot upside his head. “You’re a wonderful knight. Don’t let your fear stop you.”

“But it’s a tournament. With an audience. People watching. Actual knights,” Lancelot argued back, feeling the nervousness churn in his stomach once more. 

“Just for that, I’m gonna let you compete,” Arthur said as he looked up at Lancelot from his desk. “I don’t ever remember you being scared about anything. Don’t start now.”

Lancelot sighed. “Fine. Just one round,” he said, turning to Leon. 

Leon smiled, patting Lancelot on the back before turning to Arthur. “Can he practice with you?”

Arthur sighed. “Why not?”


	9. Chapter 8

Arthur and the knights were behind the armory, making sure no one would see them. It would look strange if the prince was seen fighting with a sword that was floating in midair. 

They agreed to practice for an hour each day, which didn’t seem like much, compared to what they were used to when they were alive. 

The tournament was in three days, and Lancelot was looking great. Once he picked up a sword, everything else was muscle memory. It took a couple tries, but he was starting to best Arthur at almost every round.

As they practiced, Percival, Leon, and Gwaine sat on the side, recalling the days when they, too, held swords while trying to figure out whose business to complete next. 

Swords clanged in the background as Lancelot and Arthur sparred, both becoming aware of their opponent’s moves and adapting accordingly.

“Do you remember the first time we all fought together?” Percival chuckled, turning to the other two. 

“I do!” Lancelot called as he lunged at Arthur, who blocked the knight with his shield. “You knocked Gwaine out!”

“You what?” Arthur laughed, pausing in the middle of the fight as he turned to the knights on the side. Lancelot stopped too, and they began to tell the story to Arthur, a pastime that was becoming more and more frequent.

They had told Arthur about Ygraine. Her life as a queen, her death, her relationship with Uther and the Druids. Arthur was comforted by the thought that his mother was in contact with those with magic. It was almost as if that friendship between Ygraine and the Druids was a blessing for him and Merlin. 

“We went out with your mother to a Druid camp. She had just found out she was pregnant. I don’t remember exactly what happened, but we heard something in the trees,” Percival started, smiling wide.

“We all got off our horses to see what the noise was. Bandits or Druids, we weren’t sure,” Leon laughed as he remembered that day. “Percival walked behind a tree with his sword out. His whole idea was to attack first and figure everything else out later.”

“But I had walked behind the same tree, just the other way around. Hey, it was a big tree!” Gwaine defended himself, looking at the look of joyous disbelief on Arthur’s face. “And then he punched me. The sword didn’t even matter.”

“We had to bring Gwaine home, unconscious. I think Elyan strapped him to his horse. Gaius tended to him, but he was out for almost three days,” Lancelot finished, doubling over with laughter.

Arthur began to laugh too, once again enjoying the company of his long lost friends. 

“Ygraine was worried sick, but she always teased us both about the incident,” Percival smiled again, finishing the story. “She was a good queen. Always looking out for us, even though we were never official knights.”

Arthur smiled too, with a sad look in his eyes. “I wish my father could have seen what great men you were.”

Leon looked to the prince after sharing a look with Lancelot, who had put his sword down. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

They all looked at one another, softly smiling when Arthur heard footsteps coming their way.

“Who’s that?” He called, shushing the knights. Gwaine started to point out that they couldn’t be heard anyways when Merlin turned the corner. 

“Merlin!” Arthur grinned, waving to his servant. “What brings you here?”

“The knights in training were wondering where you were. I was sent to come get you,” Merlin replied as he grasped the prince’s hand, lacing their fingers together. 

Arthur took Merlin’s other hand, swinging them back and forth.

“Look at them,” Gwaine said to Lancelot as he gestured wildly at the couple, hearts in his eyes. “Could you just die of adorableness?”

“I’ll be there in a minute. Actually, Merlin, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Arthur began, sitting down on the side across from the knights. 

Merlin followed his lead. “Of course.”

A light breeze blew through the air, ruffling Merlin’s hair and Arthur almost died on the spot. 

“The other day, when I went down to the village. I wasn’t...actually checking in on a bandit attack,” Arthur began, his eyes meeting Merlin’s. 

“Look how confident he’s getting,” Leon whispered. “He made eye contact!”

Merlin tilted his head, ready to listen to what Arthur was saying. 

“I was in the village,” Arthur quickly explained. “But I went to someone’s house. Erm. Her name was Guenievere. She’s the sister of, uh...a late knight.”

“Oh,” Merlin relaxed, gently nodding his head. “How was she doing?”

“Arthur!” Uther’s voice boomed out over the grounds. “There you are,” he said, turning the corner. Merlin and Arthur jumped apart, Merlin standing just in time for Uther to see them. 

Gwaine flipped him off. 

“Ah, there you are. And it’s Merlin, right?” Uther asked, hardly paying attention to the scarf-wearing servant.

“That’s me,” he answered, forcing a grin. “Your Majesty.”

“Arthur, you’re needed at the training grounds. We’ve got a whole new lot of trainees.”

“I’ll be right there, Father,” Arthur replied, his eyes darting to the knights as if asking what to do. 

“I’ll see you at dinner.” And with that, Uther marched back to the castle. 

“Can I talk to you later?” Arthur quickly asked Merlin before heading off. 

“Tonight? Normal time?” Merlin asked with a glint in his eye, a ‘yes’ implied in his answer. 

“Absolutely,” Arthur gushed. That night couldn’t come quick enough. 

* * * * *

“You still haven’t told him, have you?” Gwaine inquired as Arthur woke the next morning. 

“Shh,” Arthur mumbled. “The tournament’s today; I need rest.”

“Did you even hear them last night?” Lancelot asked. “He didn’t tell him.”

Merlin and Arthur had rushed up to Arthur’s chambers after dinner that night, the knights sitting outside of Arthur’s room, continuing to plan the next unfinished business. 

“Good point,” Percival added, moving next to Gwaine to stand above the prince’s bed. 

“Do you mind?” Arthur groaned as he rolled to face the other side of the bed, only to be met with a pacing Lancelot. 

“I can’t do it,” he was muttering, walking the length of the room. 

“Lancelot!” Gwaine said, using his full name. He walked across to Lancelot’s side of the room, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and staring him in the eye. 

“It doesn’t matter if you lose,” he began. “All that matters is that you fight as good as you can-”

“Well,” piqued Leon, correcting Gwaine’s grammar. 

“As good as you can,” Gwaine restated, ignoring Leon. “All that matters is that you can walk away feeling that you did your best. And then little old Grettir will come and take you away from us.”

Lancelot smiled, still unsure of what the outcome of the tournament would be, but more reassured with Gwaine’s words of encouragement.

“Good morning, sire,” Merlin called loudly as he walked into the room. More softly, he knelt down to Arthur’s bed, lightly grazing his lips against the prince’s cheek. “Good morning, love.”

Arthur smiled more widely than he had that entire week and slowly sat up, facing his boyfriend. 

“Big day, isn’t it?” Merlin said, beginning to open the curtains around the room, greeting the morning. “It’s beautiful out.”

Arthur got out of bed, shooing his hand at the knights, silently telling them to leave. He felt like he would get distracted by their presence, and he needed to tell Merlin the truth. 

“All right, all right!” Gwaine protested as he rose from the desk where he had settled. “Just keep it in your pants this time, please.”

“What’s wrong?” Merlin asked, noting Arthur’s waving hand and bemused expression. 

“Just- just a fly,” Arthur improvised, internally yelling at himself. “Actually Merlin, what I wanted to tell you yesterday-”

“The knight’s sister, right?”

“Right,” Arthur began before pausing. “I needed to pass a message along to her from her brother.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Merlin commented as he began to help Arthur into his armor. “Did you know the brother?”

“That’s the thing,” Arthur started, holding his arms out to help Merlin. “I knew him but we weren’t close. He um. Died. A long time ago.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“He’s okay now,” Arthur continued. “I mean. That’s why I went to his sister.”

“You’re starting to lose me,” Merlin said as he strapped Arthur’s belt around his waist. 

“Your Highness!” Another servant walked into Arthur’s chambers. “It’s getting late.”

“Who’s that?” Arthur muttered to Merlin, who chuckled in reply. 

“No idea,” Merlin laughed. “But we best be going. You can tell me later.”


	10. Chapter 9

“I can’t do this,” Lancelot panicked, pacing again in the tent where Merlin was strapping Arthur’s helmet on. 

“You can, Lance,” Percival replied. “Remember what Gwaine said: don’t let your fear stop you.”

“That’s what stopped you last time,” Leon gently reminded him. “You assumed Ygraine would say ‘no’ before you even asked. Now you don’t need anyone’s permission. It’s just you.”

“But what if something goes wrong? What if I mess up and Arthur gets hurt?”

“Then you remove yourself, just like we practiced,” Gwaine joined.

Merlin winked at Arthur before exiting the tent, leaving the prince with the knights. 

“You ready, Lance?” Arthur asked, using the nickname he had picked up from the other knights.

“He’s ready,” Leon answered for Lancelot. “I’ve never seen someone so good with a sword, Lance. I know you’ll be great.”

“I really think I can find some other business-”

“Don’t be afraid!” Gwaine cheered his friend on again before turning to Arthur. “You ready?” 

“Absolutely,” Arthur replied. “I had good times with you when I was young, Lancelot. I’m more than glad to help you out.”

Lancelot hesitated before walking over to Arthur. But he was too slow for Gwaine, who pushed him into the vessel. 

“What’d you do that for?” Arthur hissed as Lancelot controlled his form. 

“It’s your turn!” Leon encouraged, handing him his sword.

And Arthur left the tent, walking out into the arena, being greeted by a large, cheering crowd.

* * * * *  
Walking back into the tent, sweaty and out of breath, Arthur removed his helmet and placed his sword and shield to the side, facing the knights. 

“We saw everything,” Gwaine cried, wrapping his arms around Arthur. “Lance, you had that guy beat in five minutes!”

“I can’t believe it,” Arthur panted, recovering from the round and Gwaine’s bear hug. 

“I can,” Leon cheered as he shook Arthur’s hand. 

Percival began singing some celebratory tune, joined in by the other two knights as Lancelot left Arthur’s body. 

“What happened?” Arthur asked with a smile on his face. “Did we win?”

“We did!” Percival shouted, lifting Lancelot into the air. 

The smile on Lancelot’s face seemed impossible to wipe away. He ran his hands through his hair, grinning widely at the other knights and Arthur. 

“Thank you,” he spoke to the prince, shaking his hand. 

“It was my pleasure,” he replied, bringing the knight in for a hug. 

Merlin ran into the room at that moment, calling for Arthur. “It’s the next round already! They’re waiting for you.”

“Be right there,” Arthur smiled before turning to congratulate Lancelot once again. “I’m proud of you.”

Lancelot’s eyes filled with a look of gratitude and awe. “And I am of you,” he replied, knowing Grettir would soon show up and this was his goodbye. “You’ve become an amazing man, Arthur.”

Arthur smiled and nodded before leaving the tent, picking up the sword and shield, once again being greeted by the crowd. 

As soon as Arthur left, Grettir came, popping once again out of nowhere. 

“Whose turn is it?” He snarked, scribbling away on his parchment. 

“Mine,” Lancelot stepped forward. 

“And I suppose you want a goodbye and all that mushy stuff?” Grettir asked, not looking up from his writing. 

“That...that would be nice. Thank you.”

Lancelot turned to Gwaine first. “Thank you for everything,” he said, hugging his friend once more, patting him on the back. “I’m gonna miss you.”

“It’s been a wild ride, hasn’t it, mate?” Gwaine replied, starting to sniff. Oh, how he hated goodbyes. 

Lancelot inhaled deeply, letting go of Gwaine and moving onto Percival, who shook his hand firmly. “Look how far you’ve gotten,” he said. “You’re a knight, Lance. You showed everyone today.”

The tears Lancelot had been holding back now escaped as he let go of Percival’s hand. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

“Can you believe we made it this far?” Leon asked. “Don’t leave me stuck with these two,” he laughed as he held back a sob, bringing Lancelot in for a sturdy hug. 

Gwaine joined, and then Percival, all of them a gruff, teary mess. 

“Are you guys all in some sort of relationship or something?” Grettir asked, waving his hand between them all. “I’m sorry to break this up, but we’ve got a schedule to stick to.”

“Yeah. Alright,” Lancelot sniffed, wiping his eyes and letting go of the knights before walking over to Grettir. “It’s been an honor, lads. Tell Arthur goodbye for me.”

And just like with Elyan, Grettir took Lancelot’s hand and disappeared. 

* * * * *

Arthur lay in bed that night, thinking about his conversations with Merlin that day and all the times he could’ve casually dropped in the fact that five men from his past magically appeared after fifteen years and they were now using him as a vessel to finish everything they couldn’t while still alive. Because the men were dead. And now they were ghosts. All of which was perfectly sound and reasonable. 

He turned over, going to sleep, unaware of the meeting Leon, Gwaine, and Percival were holding by his desk.

“And then there were three,” Gwaine muttered as he turned to his remaining friends.

“Percival still isn’t sure what his business is,” Leon recounted, nodding at Percival. “And I need to talk to someone for mine, but we don’t know where they live.”

“Who is it again?” Gwaine asked as he tapped his foot on the table, a new habit he had recently picked up. 

“No one important,” Leon brushed the question off, wanting to say what was on his mind. “Which leaves Gwaine.”

“Right,” Gwaine sighed. The tapping momentarily paused before he spoke. “I need to see my mother.”

Percival raised his eyebrows. “I thought she passed?”

“Nah,” Gwaine responded solemnly. “I just told everyone to make it easier for me. She still lives in the village I grew up in.”

“Why did you say she passed?” Leon asked, curious.

“I ran away when I was younger,” Gwaine replied. It seemed as if he had been wanting to tell them this for a while. “I just...left. No note, no goodbye….nothing. I wanted to get out and become a knight. She wanted me to stay put and out of danger.”

“That’s understandable,” Percival nodded, feeling sorry for Gwaine’s mother. 

“So I think my unfinished business is to let her know that I turned out alright. Let her know that I was okay. You know. Until that bandit attack.”

There was a minute of silence, save for Arthur’s snoring, before Leon spoke up. 

“Alright,” he said. “We’ll talk to Arthur tomorrow. I know he has a meeting, but we might be able to get to Gwaine’s mother’s the day after.”

They all nodded in agreement before returning to their usual night time positions around Arthur’s chambers.


	11. Chapter 10

Arthur agreed to seek out Gwaine’s mother, as long as Merlin would be able to come. The knights were reluctant, but agreed. It would be more convenient to have another horse this time, rather than being dragged along behind it. 

Arthur had told Merlin they were traveling under the pretense of making peace with a villager from Carerleon, which essentially was the truth. Merlin, the easygoing personality he was, agreed to come without many qualms. 

The ride to Caerleon’s village took half the day; Arthur was eager to get back to Camelot by nightfall, not wanting to ride in the dark. 

It was a mostly silent ride: Gwaine was practicing what to say, which accounted for most of the silence. As for Merlin and Arthur, it was difficult to exchange conversation while galloping through the woods.

“Go left here,” Gwaine told Arthur as they approached a fork in the road. “I remember this place like the back of my hand.”

“How do you know which way to go?” Merlin asked, following Arthur. 

“Same as you,” Arthur teased, referring to Merlin’s way of magically navigating them through unknown territory. 

Merlin laughed, rolling his eyes, but didn’t ask anything further.

Arthur quietly breathed a sigh of relief when Merlin didn’t press on for answers. He knew he wouldn’t-- they trusted each other. 

“Over there,” Gwaine directed, pointing with his finger. Unknown to Merlin, Gwaine was sitting behind him. Leon and Percival somehow both fit on Arthur’s horse. 

Arthur obeyed, following Gwaine’s finger to the entrance of a small village. It looked very similar to Elyan’s-- small homes with thatched roofs, wooden doors and people going about their daily business. 

Arthur slowed his horse to a stop, getting off and tying the reins to a wooden fence bordering the village. Merlin followed, standing next to Arthur, who followed Gwaine through the small street. 

About three houses in, Gwaine stopped and smiled. 

“Is this the one?” Merlin asked. 

“Think so,” Arthur replied. “Actually...Merlin, would you mind going back to check on the horses? I think this is a more...private matter.”

Merlin frowned but agreed, walking back to the two brown steeds at the fence. 

“Do you think she’s home?” Arthur asked Gwaine. 

“She is,” he replied, nodding quickly. “I saw her enter the house as we came up.” He chewed his fingernails, eyes darting all around the village. 

“Well?” Arthur asked, offering an encouraging smile. “What are you waiting for?”

Gwaine paused before answering. “It tore her apart when I left. What if she’s moved on?”

“She’s your mother, Gwaine. There’s a part of her that will have never moved on, no matter how she tries to hide it,” Percival said as Arthur patted Gwaine’s shoulder. 

“At least say hello?” Arthur asked, sympathetic for Gwaine’s regret.

“Alright,” the knight agreed, merging with Arthur. A look of remorse filled the prince’s face as he marched to the door and knocked. 

“Yes?” A woman came to the door, wiping her hands on an apron. Her hair was gray and her features wrinkled, but her eyes held a similar mischievous glint that Gwaine’s always seemed to have. 

“My name is Arthur,” Arthur said, looking at the woman straight in the eye. “I’m here because of your son. Gwaine.”

The woman gasped, placing a hand over her heart. “How do you know him?”

“H-he was a knight of my father’s kingdom,” Arthur stuttered, unsure of how to explain the whole knight situation. 

“I’m so sorry. Your Highness,” Gwaine’s mother dropped into a curtsey, just as Gwen had done the week before. “What do you mean, ‘was’?”

Arthur took a deep breath before beginning. “Gwaine was killed in service. Some time ago. It took us a while to find you, but we wanted to let you know that your son turned out great. He spoke of you fondly and I- erm, he loved you. Very much.”

The woman’s eyes began to glisten with tears as she nodded, trying to grasp the fate of her son. “I thought he might have passed. I never knew until now.”

“He was very proud of being a knight. He lived a good life.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. This time, it was not Arthur who initiated a hug, but Gwaine’s mother, who embraced him tightly, before abruptly pulling away. 

“I hope that was alright,” she rushed, turning a shade of red that had been seen on Gwaine’s face before. 

“Yes, of course,” Arthur replied, bowing to the woman. “I just wanted to let you know that your son loved you. Please don’t ever forget that.”

She nodded, seemingly at a loss for words, before turning away and closing the door. 

Leon chuckled to himself, watching from a distance with Percival. Only Gwaine’s mother would have the audacity to close the door on royalty. 

Gwaine left Arthur as they walked away from the house, heading back towards the fence where Merlin was feeding the horses carrots. 

He sniffed, wiping his eyes, before turning to Leon and Percival. “Looks like it’s my turn.”

“Gwaine, wait,” Percival halted him, placing a hand on his arm. “I need to talk to you.”

Leon smiled and walked away, leaving the two to talk as Merlin and Arthur began to prepare the horses for the ride home. 

“How was she?” Percival asked, clear concern in his eyes. 

“I think she’ll be alright,” Gwaine replied, not looking directly at Percival, but over his shoulder, back at the house. “She seemed to have accepted my death some time ago.”

“I’m so sorry,” Percival whispered as Gwaine finally met his eyes. 

“It’s okay,” Gwaine smiled softly. “I’m at peace now. But what did you want to say?”

Percival sighed, looking up at the sky before continuing. “I actually know what my unfinished business is. I...figured it out some time ago.”

“That’s great, Percy!” Gwaine smiled again. That was the thing about Gwaine-- he could always find a reason to smile. “What is it?”

“It...there’s no easy way to say it. But it involves you.”

“Oh yeah?”

Percival waited a minute before speaking. “Gwaine...I...I’m in love with you.”

Gwaine froze, looking up at his friend. Percival bit his lip, unsure about what was going to happen next. 

When Gwaine said nothing, Percival continued. “I wanted to tell you for some time. Before we died, even. But I never did. I guess it was kind of like Lancelot. What if something went wrong? What if I messed up our friendship?”

Gwaine stayed silent, but Percival carried on. “So...yeah. That’s my unfinished business. I just thought I should let you know.” And he began to walk back towards Leon. 

“Percy, wait!” Gwaine called after him when Percival was no less than ten feet away from him. 

Percival turned around, looking back at Gwaine with a look of sorrow on his face. 

“No, Perce, don’t look like that. That’s...that’s the best thing I’ve heard in a long time,” Gwaine nodded and smiled. For the first time in his life, he didn’t have anything else to say. 

Percival smiled and laughed, running forwards to embrace his friend, when Gwaine whooped out his reciprocated feelings. 

Leon stood in the distance, forever a third wheel. By the looks on Gwaine and Percival’s faces, everything had gone well. 

Before they could mount the horses again, Grettir appeared for the second time that week. 

“Who’s next?” He demanded.

“Me. Him. Us,” Gwaine chuckled, clasping Percival’s hand. 

“You ready, Arthur?” Merlin asked, his foot in the horse’s stirrup, ready to leave. 

“Erm, yeah. Give me one minute,” Arthur replied. “I want to take in the scenery!”

You’re on fire today, Arthur, he thought to himself. 

He walked a few feet away to where the knights were standing. “I didn’t say goodbye to Lancelot, at least let me say goodbye to you.”

Gwaine laughed. “It’s both me and Percival this time, sire.”

Arthur’s eyes widened, a confused look gracing his features. “Why?”

“I told him I loved him,” Percival grinned. Even though he was leaving his friends, he loved Gwaine and Gwaine loved him back. Nothing else mattered at the moment. 

Arthur blinked before smiling back. “Congratulations!” He cheered, shaking both men’s hands. “And thank you both.”

“For what?” Percival asked, still holding Gwaine’s hand. “You were the one who helped us.”

“You’re my friends,” Arthur stated before looking back towards Merlin. “I don’t have many of them, and I suppose I won’t again once you all leave.”

Gwaine’s eyes began to water as he looked at the prince, pulling him in for a quick hug. “We’ve all said it before, but I’m so proud of you, little man.”

With that, Gwaine walked to Leon, saying his goodbye, leaving Percival and Arthur to do the same. 

“I’m finally rid of you,” Leon teased, shaking Gwaine’s hand.

“You’ll miss me,” Gwaine laughed

“I really will.”

“Leon, do us a favor and...if it isn’t your unfinished business, make a point to go see him.”

“See who?”

Gwaine raised his eyebrows, a knowing look on his face. 

Leon sighed and paused before opening his mouth to speak. “That’s my unfinished business.”

Gwaine smiled. “You’re gonna do great.”

“Thank you,” Leon nodded in return. 

Percival walked over as Merlin called for Arthur, wanting to leave before it got dark. 

“Coming!” Arthur called, quickly turning back to the knights. “Thank you all. Leon, looks like it’s just you and me now.”

Leon forced a smile, knowing he was going to miss everyone as Arthur walked back to Merlin, mounting his horse. 

“Goodbye, Perce,” Leon said as he shook the knight’s hand. 

“What a wild life, eh?” Percival replied, bringing Leon in for a quick hug. 

“We need to go!” Grettir called. 

“Ah, yes. Arthur and Merlin and leaving, too,” Leon said, nodding in the direction of the prince. “Goodbye you two.”

Percival and Gwaine waved and smiled at Leon before grabbing Grettir’s hands.

Leon had already caught up with Merlina and Arthur, but just in time to turn back around and watch his two friends vanish in the wind.


	12. Chapter 11

The ride back to Camelot was quiet as Merlin pondered how to handle his new situation. He had seen Arthur talking to someone, but no one was there. Then he saw Arthur hugging someone, but it was just air. Merlin needed answers. 

“Arthur,” Merlin called as they brought their horses to a slow gait in a large field. “What’s going on?”

Arthur froze on his horse, inhaling deeply and turning to Leon, who sat behind him.

“Go on,” the knight muttered. 

“Merlin, can I explain to you once we get back to Camelot? There’s a lot to say,” Arthur called back to his servant, who nodded firmly in reply. 

* * * * * 

They were in Arthur’s chambers, Merlin sitting on the desk table, Arthur pacing, trying to figure out the best way to tell Merlin about the knights.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you this, I really have,” Arthur began, his pacing coming to a halt. 

And he launched into a long winded explanation of everything that had happened the past month-- how he knew five knights when he was younger, how they disappeared, how they reappeared. How they all had to complete unfinished business-- apologizing to a sister, fighting in a tournament.

“Ohh,” Merlin gasped at Lancelot’s story. “I was going to say, I had never seen you fight with a stance like that.”

Arthur chuckled before continuing his story-- how Gwaine needed to see his mother and Percival to reveal his feelings. How Leon still needed to find someone and talk to them, but Arthur wasn’t sure who. 

“Wait,” Merlin interrupted. “If they were with you this whole time...did they see, erm. Us?”

“No,” Arthur quickly reassured. “I sent them out of the room.”

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief before standing up to take Arthur’s hands. “I guess we can call it even in the secrets department.”

Arthur laughed, lacing his fingers with Merlin’s. 

“I can help you, if you want,” Merlin began. “Finding...is it Lennie?”

“Leon.”

“I can help you find Leon’s person if you want,” Merlin said. “I know the library and records really well. Geoffrey’s started to trust me.”

Arthur smiled, turning to Leon. “I think that would be great.”

“Wait, is he here, in this room right now?” Merlin asked, growing excited. “Hi Leon!”

“He says ‘hi’ back,” Arthur chuckled. 

* * * * * 

“He’s a good man, Arthur,” Leon told the prince that night from his desk. 

Arthur was in bed, unused to the room’s sudden emptiness. 

“I know,” he replied. “I love him.”

Leon chuckled. “Does he know that?”

“Oh yes,” Arthur replied, turning over to face Leon. “I just...I’ve been thinking about proposing but…”

He trailed off, eyes growing distant. 

Leon stayed silent, waiting for Arthur to finish. 

“...but it’s enough that I’m not marrying for an alliance. What would my father say if I married a servant?”

Leon paused, thinking over how to respond. “That could be a problem. But if you’re marrying the person you love, who cares?”

“That’s true,” Arthur nodded sleepily. “But maybe it would be easier if we kept things how they are.”

And with that, the prince dozed off to sleep, leaving Leon looking down at the desk. 

* * * * *

“Okay, I think I found him,” Merlin said over an open book. “You said his name was George?”

He, Arthur, and Leon were in the records section of the library, Geoffrey out of sight. 

Leon nodded eagerly, looking over the page. 

“He says yes,” Arthur spoke for Leon, looking at the page as well. 

“There’s only one George who ever worked at the castle,” Merlin continued. “Unless you count George from the year 17, and I don’t think that’s quite applicable here.”

Leon laughed before a look of worry took over his face. 

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked. 

“What? Nothing,” Merlin replied. “Oh, you were talking to Leon.”

It had taken some getting used to-- an invisible knight around them at all times. 

“What if he doesn’t remember?” Leon asked, his voice slightly shaking. 

Arthur put his hands on Leon’s shoulders. “If what you’ve told me is true, I know he will. I remember him. He used to look after me sometimes when I was little.”

“This is so weird,” Merlin whispered, staring at his boyfriend having a conversation with air. 

“If I’ve learned anything from this past month, don’t let the ‘what ifs’ get to your head. You don’t know what could happen-- maybe something amazing will,” Arthur continued. 

“Thank you, sire,” Leon smiled weakly before turning back to Merlin, looking at the address listed for George. 

* * * * *

“This is the house,” Arthur said, pulling his horse to a stop. It was just him and Leon today; Merlin had opted to stay behind to give them some privacy before Leon’s farewell. 

Arthur dismounted his horse, holding the letter written from Leon addressed to George. 

Leon didn’t want to say anything in person-- he and George were never quite like that. They used to leave notes for each other around the castle, behind flower vases and such, so this seemed more fitting to him. 

Arthur walked to the door, Leon following, and knocked. 

An elderly man opened the door, immediately dropping his head into a bow. “Your Highness.”

“Good afternoon,” Arthur smiled at the man. “I’m looking for George? Does he live here?”

“George?” The man replied. He thought to himself for a minute. “George doesn’t live here. He died about five years ago. My wife and I bought the house shortly after. ”

Leon took a step back, gasping. Arthur turned to him to mouth “I’m so sorry,” before turning back to the man in front of him. 

“Oh,” he said, folding the letter back into his pants pocket. “Do you know what the cause of his death was?”

“We don’t,” the man. “I’m so sorry. He lived alone, never married or anything. Was he a friend of yours?”

“Yes,” Arthur replied. “I came here to erm. Deliver something to him. Thank you for your time.”

Arthur walked back to Leon, riding to Camelot in silence. 

When they reached a large grassy area, the tears Leon was holding back began to escape. 

Arthur stopped the horse, dismounting and bringing Leon in for a hug. 

“I’m so sorry, Leon,” Arthur said, mourning the loss of his friend’s lover. “I had no idea.”

Leon took a deep breath and pulled away, wiping his eyes. “I was going to propose to him...before we died.”

Arthur nodded, wanting to listen to Leon’s story. 

“But I was too scared. I didn’t think it would be suitable for a knight and a servant to be in that close of a relationship. I bought a ring and everything,” Leon sniffed, pulling a small, gold ring out of his pocket. 

“My gods, Leon. I can’t imagine,” Arthur whispered, still in shock that Leon couldn’t complete his business. Everyone else's had gone so well. 

“And did you hear what the man said?” Leon asked, wiping his eyes again, pocketing the ring. “He never married. Died alone. I should’ve proposed, I should’ve.”

“Leon, you had no idea where life was going to take you fifteen years ago,” Arthur tried to comfort the knight, his heart dripping with sorrow. “You and George still had a happy life while you were together, right?”

“Yes,” Leon murmured. “Wait.”

“What?”

“That’s- that’s my unfinished business,” Leon spoke up, bringing out the ring he held earlier. “I can’t propose to George anymore, but...but you can propose to Merlin.”

“What?” Arthur repeated, confusion once again taking over his face. 

“I was too scared,” Leon explained, growing giddy. “You don’t have to be. Marry someone you love, Arthur. Marry Merlin.”

Arthur shook his head. “What?”

“Arthur, say something else! I didn’t propose to George because I was too afraid. What were you telling me, just last night? You love him, Arthur. And he loves you. I’ve never seen two people tripping over their feet to reach each other the way you guys do.”

Arthur slowly smiled, beginning to nod. “You think so?”

“Arthur, yes! Propose to him! Here,” Leon held out the ring. “You can use this. Do what I never had the courage to do.”

Hesitating, Arthur took the ring from Leon. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Leon smiled, throwing his head back in laughter. “This whole time it was so simple!”

Arthur laughed too, reaching out and hugging Leon, patting him on the back. 

At that exact moment, Grettir popped up, still scribbling away on his parchment. 

Leon sighed and pulled away, wiping happy tears from his eyes. “Go,” he told Arthur. “Go to Merlin.”

“Thank you for everything, Leon,” Arthur whispered, starting to cry himself. 

“No, thank you, Your Highness,” Leon smiled before grabbing Grettir’s hand and vanishing. 

* * * * *

Arthur returned to the castle as fast as his horse would take him. 

“Merlin!” He cried, throwing doors open, looking for his servant. “Merlin, I need to talk to you!”

“He’s out in the field,” a passing servant told him. “I think he’s running errands for Gaius.”

“Thank you!” Arthur shouted before running back into the field-- the same one he had played in with the knights on his birthday all those years ago. 

“Merlin!” He called as he found the servant, kneeling over a patch of flowers, collecting them in a small satchel. “There you are!”

“Arthur! How did it go? Was George there?” Merlin asked, standing up to greet the prince. 

“He wasn’t,” Arthur paused, putting his hand in his pocket and running his fingers over the small ring Leon had given him. “He died some time ago.”

“Oh,” Merlin gasped. “I’m so sorry, Leon,” he said, turning to where Leon usually stood at Arthur’s right side. 

“Oh, but Leon still left,” Arthur smiled. “We found other unfinished business for him.”

“Oh yeah?” Merlin asked. 

“Yes, but first I need to ask you something,” Arthur began, bringing the ring out. “Merlin... I love you,” he started, pausing a little. Despite his adrenaline high from earlier, he was still nervous. “And I can’t imagine ever living without you. I’ve been wanting to ask you this for some time, but…I was always too scared. So I decided against it. But seeing Leon today-- how both he and George lived without knowing how much they truly loved each other-”

Merlin raised his eyebrows. “That’s what Leon needed to tell him?”

Arthur laughed. “Yeah.”

“That’s a bit of a shock.”

“Isn’t it?”

“But you were saying-” Merlin steered the conversation back to Arthur’s monologue.

“I was just saying that I love you. I love you, Merlin. More than anything. And...I guess...I just wanted to ask if, well,” he paused, taking a deep breath before showing Merlin the ring. Merlin gasped. “Will you marry me?”

Merlin threw his head back, laughing before throwing his arms around Arthur. “Yes, Arthur, yes, yes, I will.”

Arthur exhaled a sigh of relief, placing the ring on Merlin’s finger as he grazed his lips against his servant’s. 

He pulled away, looking straight at Merlin’s eyes. “I don’t feel so afraid anymore.”


End file.
